Home School Education - Advantages and Disadvantages

Why Parents Choose a Home School Education

An increasing number of children today are receiving a home school education. The reasons for making the choice to home school their kids varies from family to family but there are three main reasons why parents are removing their children from the public school system and giving them a home school education.

The first reason is that the public education system in the United States is struggling to provide a proper education for the nation's children with out of date text books, run down school buildings and inadequate equipment. Provision of a home school education enables the parents to have control over the quality of the educational materials used by their children and the general conditions in which they are educated.

The second reason is that parents wish to assume more control over the influences their children will be exposed to. This is often on the basis of religious grounds but, very often, it is simply because a home school education will ensure the child learns the values upheld by the family and is taught from an early age what behavior is appropriate. Unfortunately, many public schools have a poor reputation for instilling good discipline in students. This often results in badly behaved children disrupting lessons and preventing their peers from getting the full benefit of classes. Discipline and the upholding of proper standards of behavior is an important part of a home school education.

The third reason many parents choose to give their children a home school education is fear for their safety. Violence is on the increase everywhere and the public school system has not escaped this trend. Violence in the public education system is getting worse and the individual acts of violence are more serious. Since the shocking events at Columbine High School there have been further tragedies involving firearms where teachers and students have been injured or killed. A home school education ensures the safety of children who would otherwise be seriously at risk of harm.

The Disadvantages of Opting For Homeschooling

Providing a home school education is not simply a matter of parental choice. In most cases the state education board of the state in which the family resides will have to approve a decision to give a child a home school education. The person taking on the responsibility of homeschooling must be certified to be a home teacher, the curriculum must follow the state curriculum, and the text books and other educational materials to be used must be approved by the state. Although this might seen like undue interference in what is a matter of personal choice, the state has a responsibility to ensure that all children receive an adequate standard of education and checks will be made to ensure that any child being kept away from public school is being properly educated.

A home school education might mean that a child is deprived of certain opportunities which would have been available within the public school system. There could be difficulties in providing facilities for athletic children to realize their potential. Musically talented children could be similarly disadvantaged. In some states there is provision for children receiving a home school education to take part in amenities such as being able to attend sports lessons and join after-school clubs. However, the level of assistance provided to homeschooling parents is not uniform and varies a lot from state to state.

The final potential disadvantage to affect children receiving a home school education is that they will not develop the social skills which will be important as they grow up. Social interaction with their peers and with adults outside the family is essential if a child is going to grow up with a properly balance personality and a reasonable level of social skills. These developmental issues can be fairly easily overcome if the child lives in a state where homeschooling parents are given support and the child receiving a home school education is accepted into classes and extra-curricular activities.

The decision to keep a child out of the public education system is not one any parent would make lightly and any weighing up of the pros and cons must take into account the level of support the state will provide. However, if the public school system continues to deteriorate, the number of children receiving a home school education is bound to increase.

Tammy Carter reviews Home School Education [http://www.homeschoolonlineresources.com] at HomeSchoolResourcesOnline.com

Are Home School Programs Right For Your Child?

Home school programs are the option for parents who feel public schools are deficient in prime education and in safety. The questions many people ask is, are home schooled kids lacking suitable socialization and what is the rewards and disadvantages from home schooling? Contrary to public-school children, children who are taught at home are not captives of a system of rules that could crush their self-esteem or their joy of learning.

Home taught children do not need to sit down silently in a school room of 30 or more additional pupils and act as though they enjoy being in that confined public school prison. Most of the kids in home school programs are smart and independent. Home schooling in addition affords the parent the chance to interact with the child extensively. Teaching preschool at home as well gives you a chance to encourage your child to enjoy learning

The procedure of formulating effective programs at home can be intimidating at the beginning, but is extremely worthwhile when you have your plans prepared. There are several techniques for home schooling a child, and the technique you decide on will determine your curriculum and your manner of teaching. Having your child learn responsibility is one of the end results of education whether it comes about in a normal school background or by home school programs.

There are many other things that have to be dealt with when teaching a child at home. For instance, lowering your costs is important to keep in mind if you're plan to be successful in the long-run. The presumption that springs to mind on the price of at home programs is that, they're expensive. The fact is, home schooling does not need to cost a lot. Whenever you buy used textbooks, you are able to cut down your cost substantially. There are a lot of places where you can find used items on the Internet.

A few home schoolers continue to buy resources, yet a fast growing list of parents reject traditional home school programs and adopt a more individualized approach to their child's training. You can ask your local schools about resource programs, suggested techniques for teaching your child at home and about whatever additional useful data they can give you.

The plan fact is, home schooling is something that's easily within the reach of anyone that would like to accept the obligation for their child's education. Therefore, whether you're interested in home school programs for the long run, or merely would like to ready your child for his or her school time, home school programs should commence prior to the child entering Kindergarten.

For information and resources on home schooling visit About Home School Programs.

Home School Methods - What Do Parents Use to Homeschool?

There are as many ways to home school as there are people out there that home school. Basically most people will range somewhere in the broad spectrum between "school-at-home" and "let the kids play all they want and they'll learn what they need to know". You need to know your style and the temperaments and learning styles of your children to be able to come up with an educational philosophy that you can both live with.

Children can learn with workbooks and they can learn with games. Some children love to work through a textbook and don't want to be bothered with games while other children may complete a workbook but not remember anything they did.

There are all kinds of terms that are used to describe the styles of home schooling such as Eclectic, Classical, Unschooling, Traditional, Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and Unit Studies.

Homeschooling does stretch a parent but it doesn't have to bend them out of shape. Each parent needs to evaluate what type of learning methods they feel comfortable with in teaching their children. Some people wouldn't feel comfortable using anything but a structured curriculum that tells them exactly what to say. While others would feel very stifled to have to be tied to a curriculum that told them exactly what they had to do.

Homeschooling is mostly about relationships. If you have a great relationship with your child or work on relating with your child, you will be able to work through any curriculum struggle by communicating.

Children need some boundaries in their day. They may not learn anything by playing around all day, but then they may not learn anything by completing a workbook page either. They need some structure that they are required to follow and be held accountable if they step outside those boundaries. When you have some "have tos" in your life it builds character and makes the unstructured times more fun.

Do you want to know more about home school methods? Download the free homeschool eBooks "How to Find the Best Homeschool Resources"or "How to Get Started with Homeschooling" at http://www.homeschool-how-to.com/free-homeschool-ebooks.html

Heidi Johnson enjoys helping people find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

The Many Benefits of Home Schooling

The decision for home schooling is based on a number of factors: desire to teach religion as part of the curriculum, undesirable school conditions, and overall dissatisfaction with the school's curriculum.

Although it's difficult for researchers to gather data on home schools, some research indicates that adults who were home schooled have a higher college attendance rate and seem more satisfied with life in general.

Home schooled children have consistently scored exceptionally higher than average on achievement tests. I recently read that home schooled 3rd graders scored higher than 81% of public school students in math alone!The biggest benefit to home schooling is simply that parents love their kids and want them to have a bright future. Teachers care very much about their students but no one loves their kid like a mom or dad.

Often the home school parents are able to spend significantly more money on educational materials than a public school can. The average cost of supplies per student per year can range from $200-$2000 at a home school.

Home school students can progress through educational material at the student's rate. This makes it much easier for home school students to be enrolled one or more grades above their public and private school-age peers.

Home schooled children are healthier than public school kids since they aren't exposed to so many sick children.

Home schooled children don't deal with so much peer pressure.

Home schooled children often develop exceptional relationships with their siblings.

Parents can offer their children instruction in areas that aren't fostered in public schools. The curriculum is flexible and can be ever changing.

The schedule can be changed if a child needs more or less help in a particular subject.

One mom told me that she is able to take her children to the museum for art class, the symphony for music, and ice skating for physical ed. She wants her children to socialize with other children their age so she often incorporates other home schools into her field trips.

If you're considering home schooling your child, where do you begin?

There are great resources available for parents who are already home schooling and for those who are just kicking the idea around. Starting a home school can be overwhelming. The parents I interviewed said that it is well worth the sacrifice.

Over the past year I've had the opportunity to meet many parents who have chosen to home school their children. The subject interested me enough to do a little research on the benefits of home schooling.

I was referred to this resource and I agree that it's great:
http://www.SuccessfulHomeSchool.info

Your Home School Program - What Does it Look Like?

You may be wondering what you should be doing for home schooling. The truth is that your home school is unique. It won't be like any other home school in the world. You and your children are unique individuals and will learn and relate in different ways.

Here are a few things that will determine what your home school looks like:

1. Who are you and your children as individuals? How do each of you learn best? Public schools tend to use the visual or auditory methods of teaching. With home schooling you can determine your children's learning style and how they learn best. Then you can implement learning to help them learn the way they learn best.

2. What is the routine of your day? Most people need a basic structure to their day. It can be formed around mealtimes. You get up, get dressed, and eat. Then you can do certain things in the morning, some other routines in the afternoon and others after dinner. Once children can read they can learn many things on their own. Reading, writing and arithmetic are the most important routines. Then you can add the other subjects you think are important. If your expectations are clearly stated, your children will know what is expected of them each day.

3. What are the boundaries in your home? What are people allowed or not allowed to do? Can your children watch TV before their work is done for the day? How are they permitted to speak to their parents and siblings? If you lay down some guidelines for proper behavior, everyone knows where the boundary lines are and you don't have to feel guilty enforcing those.

Most of all your child needs to feel loved and accepted. They won't remember most of their lessons, although they will grow by working each day. What they will remember most is how they felt when they were around you and how you treated them.

Do you want to know more about homeschooling? Download the free homeschool eBooks "How to Find the Best Homeschool Resources"and "How to Get Started with Homeschooling" at http://www.homeschool-how-to.com/free-homeschool-ebooks.html

Heidi Johnson enjoys helping people find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

Catholic Home Schooling - Ten Pros and Cons

Are you are considering home schooling for religious, scholastic, or social reasons? These tips can help you make an informed decision. They are taken from our experiences and those of friends.

10 pros for Catholic homeschooling:

You know the teacher. Most teachers in elementary and high schools are hard-working dedicated teachers who do a good job. But this is not always the case. Depending on where you live or just the luck of the draw you may end up with a teacher who is not up to par. As a homeschooling parent this is not something that you have to worry about.
Support groups. There are many good Catholic homeschool groups that can help guide you into your journey in homeschooling. You can learn many things in these homeschool groups. This includes everything from how to present subject matter to how to deal with day-to-day frustrations.
Flexibility. Home schooling allows you the flexibility to work on schooling in ways that you might not have imagined. You can take family trips without missing school for example. If certain times of the day work better than others, there's nothing to stop you from doing that.
Health. Oftentimes schools become a breeding ground for germs. Diseases get transferred from one student to the next. Your homeschool students won't be exposed to this as much as other children.
Increased amount of time spent together. This is a fairly obvious point but the opportunities for bonding are increased because you will be spending more time with your children.
Peer pressure. Your children will be hearing your values much more than the values of their peers because of the amount of time they spend with you and with other homeschoolers who share the same values.
Direct involvement. Many teachers often say that one of the best indicators of a child's success in school is how involved his parents are. You can't get more involved in a child's education than homeschooling.
Individualized curriculum. Even in a good school you may run into one or two classes that are not very good. This may be because of a poor choice of textbook or method of study that is not well suited to your child. As a homeschooler you are free to tailor your child's education to suit his particular needs.
Ensure orthodoxy. In many parochial schools religious ed courses are now taught by lay teachers instead of religious. While you may have a very knowledgeable teacher for religious education, all too often students are exposed to questionable teachings. As a homeschooler you can ensure that religious education is in line with Catholic teaching.
Controlled environment. When students are taught at home You don't have to worry about the following things that sometimes occur in school: bullying, drug use, gangs, inappropriate sex education, hazing, etc.10 cons for Catholic homeschooling:

Socialization. This is usually the first objection people raise if they hear you are thinking about homeschooling. There is some truth to this but it's not as bad as it sounds. Your child may feel that he is the odd man out because his friends from the neighborhood most likely spend more time together. However there are plenty activities that can act as a substitute. Look to see if your community offers sports teams through the local park district, reading or studying groups through the local library, or playgroups through a local homeschool group. These types of activities can help your child grow friendships with other children their age.
Time. Homeschooling will require you to think about time management. You must guard against letting the day slip by you without getting into your study materials. This can become tricky when circumstances in your household change such as when there is a new addition to your family.
Organization. Find an organization method that works for you and stick with it as best as you can. Preparing for lessons requires that you know what lessons are coming up, what materials are that you'll need, and having everything ready for the school day. Your children will lose interest fast if you end up searching your house for a book or some other type of material halfway through a lesson.
Distractions. It can become easy to get distracted at home. As you look around there all types of things that are calling out for your attention. This is also true for your children. Try to get into a pattern of dedicated study time to avoid this problem.
You are not an expert in everything. You're going to run into subjects that you're not very familiar with. This will require you to do some research so that you can teach effectively. In the long run this is a benefit for you but in the short term it means more work.
Cabin fever. Spending time day in and day out within the confines of your home can cause boredom to set in. Try to arrange for field trips and play dates with other families to keep your children from getting bored. Make sure that you get out of the house from time to time to get a break from the monotony. Don't let yourself get burned out.
Motivation. When you are in the long stretch of the school year it can become hard to stay motivated. Make sure that you have breaks in your routine periodically. You should also keep long-term and short-term goals to help you maintain perspective.
Unsure of progress. If you are grading your own child's progress it may be hard to gauge if they are operating at the levels that they should be. Contact with other homeschool families can help in this matter. There are also standardized tests that your child can take.
Criticism from others. Many people think that homeschooling is strange or that the families who homeschool are strange. Oftentimes they're not afraid to express their opinions to you. You may feel like you need to justify your decision to others repeatedly. Don't let this get you down. There are a lot of great reasons to homeschool and once you start listing them off you can usually quiet the critics.
Legal issues. Laws concerning homeschooling vary from state to state. You should know what laws govern homeschooling in your state. You also may run into problems from busybody neighbors who think that your children are truant. Maintaining a membership in an organization such as the Home School Legal Defense Association can give you peace of mind, provide advice, and defense if this becomes necessary. Most homeschoolers never run into these types of problems but it's important to know your rights and how to defend them.

Vince Salomon is a proud husband and father of 6 children. He and his wife home school their children and live in Illinois with 3 dogs and two cats. Vince makes his living as a computer applications developer with 15 years of experience. Please visit his blog at http://kingsalomon.net for more posts related to home schooling, the Catholic faith, or a variety of other topics. Don't forget to subscribe to the rss feed.

Home Schooling is a Popular Education Option

Schooling children at home was not an unusual thing in the not-so-distant past. Settlements were often far apart and children were not often gathered in large numbers. Parents would purchase the textbooks most accepted as "necessary," such as the McGuffey Reader, and both parents would be involved in educating their children. In addition to learning "the three 'R's," students also learned the tasks of daily living and of spiritual and moral growth. Home schooling fell out of favor when people lived in more populated areas and when the federal government began emphasizing public education for all students.

The requirements of Home Schooling should be considered. The federal government requires that certain compulsory education requirements be covered for children attending K-12. Individual states may have other additional requirements. Parents should check the laws before starting to home school.

There can be drawbacks to Home Schooling. Home schooled children may have a reduced amount of age-segregated socialization with their peers. In addition to limited contact with children their own age, home schooled children are unable to participate in organized school sports that encourage teamwork and teach healthy competition with opponents of roughly equivalent age and skill. Children have fewer opportunities to participate in musical groups, concerts, and recitals. Although children can learn an instrument at home, they are unable to participate in school-related parades or events.

None of these things are entirely precluded by a child being home schooled. However, parents will need to work harder to ensure that their children can participate in them should their children be interested.

What are the Benefits of Home Schooling? Home schooled students are not around children of their age group as much as other students; however, most school students have limited interaction during the day. Rather, they interact with their teachers while competing with peers for those teachers' attention. Home schooling is usually conducted in the spirit of cooperation. Students taught together often work together, rather than compete to be the first to find the "right" answer.

Home schooling tends to be safer. Students are not exposed to hazards outside of dangers that exist in any home, unless students are anticipating in scientific experimentation or in rigorous physical education classes. Students do not need to worry about classmates with knives or illegal firearms, nor do they need to face going through a metal detector on a daily basis.

Sports are not a part of the regular school curriculum. Roughly the same percentages of home schooled students participate in after school activities as do their peers. It is also possible that home-based physical education programs are as effective as school-based programs, given that students are more likely to be active for the entire period and are not waiting their turn in class.

Children are not exposed to drugs, teasing, or bullying, other than what they ordinarily find at home. Drugs are kept under control of the parents, at least in the classroom experience. Teasing and bullying is usually only among siblings. In addition, parents are able to teach spirituality and morality, if they feel that such things are an important part of the curriculum.

Many other benefits exist to home schooling. More information can be found through one of many local home schooling organizations.

Jerry Cahill is a publisher and webmaster. He maintains several informative websites. Find more at http://www.thehomeschoolinghelper.com